


Who Needs Enemies, When You Have Friends

by Princess24



Series: Friends to enemies [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess24/pseuds/Princess24
Summary: Gwen has accused Merlin of betraying the king and posioning Arthur. She has sentenced him to hang at dawn. Can Arthur awaken from the posion in time to save his friend? Or is this the end of camelots resident goofball?(I DO NOT OWN MERLIN OR THE CHARCTERS. )
Series: Friends to enemies [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1943395
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Who Needs Enemies, When You Have Friends

(Merlin POV)

"It brings me no pleasure to accuse one of my closest friends of an act so vile as to posion the king. Yet there can be no other explanation. Only Merlin had access to my husbands food at the time of the posioning. He has betrayed us all, and has sealed his fate. Guards take the traitor to the dungeons he will be hanged tomorrow at dawn. Take him away." No no no this couldn't be happening. How could she believe me capable of something so evil. She knows I would rather die than see Arthur hurt. That thought in mind I struggled uselessly against the arms dragging me away. Gazing desperately around me at the faces of my friends. I silently begged someone to speak up for me. Surely one of them must see this as crazy. Yet as their eyes met mine all I could see was hurt and betrayal clouding their faces before each one of them broke eye contact with me, unwilling to see the tears gathering in my eyes at their betrayal. Not about to accept defeat yet I strained in the guards grip searching for the one friendly face that has always been by my side. I know Gwain won't turn against me.

"Gwain please. I would never..." I started as my eyes found his only for him to cut me off mid-sentence.

"Merlin mate why? I thought he was your friend? Why would you posion him? I don't want to believe that you could betray Arthur like this but. blamy mate all the evidence points to you. I'm sorry my friend but I can't help you this time. You dug your grave now you must lay in it." My heart shattered at that as he turned away from me choosing instead to comfort the sob wrecked queen. No longer having any will to fight I allowed the guards to drag me to the cold dark dungeon. Where they swiftly threw me in the darkest, dampest cell imaginable. Huddling in a corner knees drawn up to my chest, I watched as the occasional rat sniffed hopefully my way. No doubt looking for a quick meal, only for me to hiss at them and shoot a beam of harmless light at them when they drew just a little too close for comfort. Hey what can I say I really don't like hurting anything. Not even a rat hoping to gnaw on my bones.

A few minutes later Giaus appeared with the keys to the cell, (which he no doubt nicked off one of the guards when they weren't looking. Guess even Giaus can be hit by a case of sticky fingers.)

"You must hurry Merlin Arthur doesn't have much time left only your magic can save him now, but only if you get to him in time. I slipped a sleeping draught in the guards food they will be out for a few hours. Giving you plenty of time to heal the king and get back here before anyone notices." He whispered the click of the lock turning reverberating off the walls as he swung the door open. Yet even as he waved me over I did not move. My heart too shattered to comprehend exactly what was happening.

"Merlin my boy pull your self together Arthur is dying. I know you feel betrayed by your friends turning against you like this, but do you really want to sit here and allow the king your friend to die knowing that you could save him?" As if he had just dumped a bucket of ice water down my shirt I found myself at full attention as his words finally registered in my mind. He was right. Even if Arthur ends up believing Gwen and has me killed I would never forgive myself if I allowed him to die knowing I could save him. Swiftly leaping to my feet I charged out the door and past a very relieved Giaus as I headed toward Arthurs chambers. thankfully everyone had left by the time I made it up there and into his room.

Swiftly making my way over to the bed I gently placed my hands on the barely rising chest of my king. His labored breathing loud in my ears. Closing my eyes and concentrating all my energy on the spell leaving my lips, I forced all my power into his rapidly slowing heart. Willing it to fight and strengthen. I sighed in relief as I felt the spell take hold destroying the posion in its path. Opening my eyes I smile softly at the now serene face of my king as his breathing once more evened out in his sleep. Tip toeing away so as not to wake my sleeping friend I once more headed back to the dungeons. Praying Arthur would awaken in time to stop my execution tomorrow morning and wouldn't just come to watch me hang once awakened.

☠☠☠

The next morning I was jerked rudely awake by the sounds of my cell door slamming open. Blinking away the sleep from my eyes I stared in dread at the guards waiting to lead me to the square. Looks like I was going to die after all. Swallowing nervously. I slowly got to my feet extending my hands for them to place the manacles on before gripping each of my arms in a tight embrace. I could feel a cold sweat begin to form on my rapidly whitening forehead as we entered the courtyard and the platform where I would soon hang came into view. I could see them securing the rope to the platform, testing its strength as they prepared it for my neck. A part of me desperately wanted to magic my way out of this, but if even my friends believe me a traitor. Than why bother. Better to die now than spend my entire life running as my dad did before me. Yet as the noose was slowly slipped over my head, and the manacles were replaced by rope tying my hands behind my back. I couldn’t stop the tears from gathering in my eyes. Nor the pit of fear coiling like a snake around my heart as Gwen proclaimed my supposed crime for all to hear.

The only comfort I found as I watched her slowly lift her hand was that at least Arthur wouldn't have to see me die. Than her hand came down and all breath was knocked out of my body as the trap door under me opened and the noose tightened around my throat. I could feel my lungs constricting within me desperately begging for air as my vision gradually began to grow splotchy. My hands twitched and tugged at its bindings desperately trying to break free so I could claw at the rope cutting off my air. I could feel my limbs slowly giving out as my energy gradually faded. I could faintly hear what sounded like frantic yelling, and someone desperately calling my name, but I paid it no heed. As the darkness rapidly descending upon me seemed oh so inviting. Almost like a blanket gently swaddling a baby. Comforting and shielding it from all the pains of the world around it. I knew I probably shouldn't go into the oblivion calling to me but I found my will to fight had long since fled. So abandoning caution to the wind I welcomed the darkness drawing me in just as I felt what seemed like hands frantically pulling at the rope that was cutting my life short. I knew no more As finally I was swallowed into the murky black abiss of oblivion.

* * *

(Arthur's POV)

* * *

I could feel the guilty eyes of my knights behind me boring into my back as I sat there gently cradling the cold clammy hand of my manservant that day, but I ignored it. Let them feel guilty. Not one of them stuck up for Merlin that day my wife accused him of posioning me. If I hadn't woken up when I did and rushed out to the courtyard, upon the guards tale of my manservants pending execution, Merlin would have died. And none of his so called friends would have bated an eye. Just thinking about it gets my blood boiling, because of them Merlin now lay struggling for his life as his lungs frantically tried to make up for its short time without air. It had only been an hour since merlin was rescued and rushed off to Giaus, but it certainly felt like a lifetime. In that time I hadn’t said a word to anyone. Too consumed with rage to speak. I could hear the soft footfalls of my knights as one brave, (or maybe he just has a death wish), young soul dared to approach me and lay a hand on my shoulder.

"Sire you really should rest. We can watch over merlin." I felt my temper rising to dangerous levels at Leons words.

"And why Sir Leon would I ever leave my friend in the hands of the likes of you. Any of you. I heard how none of you stuck up for him that day. Not one of you even attempted to investigate my wife's claims. If you had the cook would have informed you that merlin wasn't even down there when it happened. He was washing my laundry in the wash room. George was the one to bring up my dinner that night, not merlin. Yet you wouldn't know that because none of you bothered to even attempt to clear his name. You just accepted that someone who has risked his life for me on multiple occasions, and someone I consider a brother, would betray me. I understand she is the Queen but merlin is supposed to be your friend. Yet because of his so called friends here he lays struggling to draw in air as he fights for his life. Not one of you tried to help me when I rushed the platform and tried to save him. In fact a few of you tried to pull me away from him whispering in my ear that he poisoned me. It wasn't until I punched you that I was able to free him, and by than he had already blacked out. So again I ask. Why would I let a bunch of almost murderers watch my brother? hmm." Leon merely stared at me, his mouth resembling a fish as he opened and closed it. Shaking my head in disgust I turned back to my friend, gently carding my fingers through his sweat plastered black hair.

I could hear the sound of the door opening and closing as one by one they all left heads hanging low in their guilt, but I didn’t care. They made their choice now they must live with the consequences. I'm not sure if I can ever forgive them, Gwen at least helped me get Merlin to giaus upon seeing me alive. She even appologized for ever assuming merlin could ever turn traitor before running away crying at seeing the dark bruises around merlins neck. The knights, I have yet to hear a single appology from them. No this will not be forgiven so easily. Only if and when Merlin wakes up alive will I even think about forgiving them for their betrayal. Only than.

* * *

2 Weeks Later

* * *

It had been 2 weeks since Merlins near execution and 1 and a half weeks since he finally opened his eyes. Since than things between the knights, merlin, and I haven’t been the same. Gwain at least attempted to appologize to merlin realizing how much of a prat he was for allowing his friend to nearly die like that, but everytime he so much as approaches merlin chaos insues. As merlin drops whatever he is doing and lifting his hand fearfully to his throat quickly shies away from his approach. Giaus says its merely a side affect of his friends sentencing him to death. Something called PTSD and all that, but ethier way since that fateful day anytime he see's the knights who allowed it to happen he freaks out.

Leon also tried approaching him once but made the mistake of resting a hand on his shoulder. It took us hours to get him to calm down after screaming in terror and curling into a tight ball in the corner shaking, and repeating over and over again:

"Please, it wasn't me, I didn't posion him, It wasn’t me." Needless to say the knights have been mere shadows of their former selves consumed with the guilt of their betrayal. On the flip side though. Merlin and I have never been closer. The moment he woke up and realized he wasn't going to be killed and that I believed him innocent he had burst into tears clinging to me for hours. Since than our bond has only grown stronger. He eventually did end up forgiving Gwen once we realized she was enchanted and not acting of her own free will, but even than it took a while. Now Gwen and him can frequently be seen wandering down the hall laughing at some new rumor circling the castle. It warms my heart to know Morganas magic wasn't able to tare their friendship apart. As for the knights I'm not sure if things can ever go back to normal there. As they weren't under a spell like Gwen. Their betrayal was their own. Maybe one day the friendship they had destroyed could be repaired, but for now I'm just glad my brother can still smile even through his tears.

**The End**

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [You Stood By (And Did Nothing)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26654185) by [AeonTheDimensionalGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeonTheDimensionalGirl/pseuds/AeonTheDimensionalGirl)




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